Stopping in on open houses is a great weekend pastime, especially if there is no Sunday football to watch on TV. And the National Association of Realtors says that nearly half of all homebuyers visit open houses during their home search. So in the spirit of getting the other half out there, NAR has declared this weekend Realtor Nationwide Open House Weekend.More than 300 Realtor associations are participating in the event, along with NAR global partners in Canada, Denmark, France, Israel, Mexico, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, said an association press release.
To find open houses in your area, visit www.Realtor.com and search for open houses in the Realtor Nationwide Open House Weekend box on the home page. The special search function will be available beginning June 3.
For the record, not all real estate agents are fans of holding open houses. Most admit that the buyer for the house being held open rarely comes from the open house. What does happen, though, is that the agent gets a chance to meet all the other buyers in the market and can try to recruit them as new clients.
As for the public, open houses are just plain fun -- a chance to see how your neighbors redecorated or getting to take a peek inside the mansion behind the gates.
Many who are just thinking about the homebuying process prefer stopping in on an open house to the more necessary step of engaging with a real estate agent who can advise you on the market and what you can afford. After all, fantasizing about living in beautiful homes is always preferable to being shown the stuff within our budget.
So this weekend, get ready to fantasize.
| Shop for a new home | |
|---|---|
| Connect with real estate agents | |
| Get decorating tips | |
| Snoop | |
| Fantasize about owning them |
For more on homebuying, real estate agents and related topics see these AOL Real Estate guides:
- How to Choose a Realtor
- Top Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent
- Terms Every Seller Should Know
- First-Time Homebuyer's Guide
More on AOL Real Estate:
Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.
Find homes for sale in your area.
Find foreclosures in your area.
Get property tax help from our experts.
